Latest KFF Health News Stories
Insurer Tries A Soft Touch — Puppies! — For This Year’s Hard Sell Of Obamacare Plans
Open enrollment for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchanges started last week. Across the country, municipalities, insurers and grass-roots groups are working hard to help folks navigate the hoops.
Opioid Treatment Funds In Senate Bill Would Fall Far Short Of Needs
The $45 billion for opioid treatment in the Senate bill sounds like a lot of money, but an advocate estimates it would provide $1,000 to $2,000 per year for each person in Pennsylvania who might need treatment. Meanwhile, one year of methadone treatment for opioid addiction costs about $4,700 per year,
As Seniors Get Sicker, They’re More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage plans offer good value and aim to keep patients healthy but sicker people are far more likely to quit because they can’t get the care they need.
People In Recovery Worry GOP Medicaid Cuts Would Put Treatment Out Of Reach
In Pennsylvania alone, 124,000 people received drug or alcohol addiction treatment through Medicaid. Republicans in Congress want to cut Medicaid by as much as $800 billion over the next decade, leaving people in recovery wondering what will happen to their treatment.
Insurance Customers In Pennsylvania Look To Trump To Ease Their Burden
Two Pennsylvania voters who buy health insurance on healthcare.gov are frustrated with how expensive the plans have become. They voted for Trump in hopes he can bring down health insurance costs.
Will A Study Save Victims Of Violence Or Gamble With Their Lives?
A major study in Philadelphia will look at whether it is better for people with gunshot or stab wounds to get basic care from paramedics or more advanced care before going to the hospital, as most do now.
In Philadelphia, Neighbors Learn How To Help Save Shooting Victims
A first-aid class in Philadelphia is designed to help people learn how to keep shooting victims alive until the paramedics arrive. It teaches skills such as applying tourniquets to stop bleeding.
Hospitals Eye Community Health Workers To Cultivate Patients’ Successes
These non-medical workers are increasingly being seen by hospitals as a critical point of contact for patients and a way to help hold down readmission rates and improve health outcomes.
Some Dialysis Patients Give Medicare Failing Grade On Ambulance Trial
A Medicare trial aimed at averting billing fraud and waste in nonemergency ambulance service in eight states is drawing complaints from patients’ families and ambulance companies.
Medicaid To Fund More Addiction Treatment
Some Medicaid plans will now get federal funding for 15 days of inpatient treatment. But Pennsylvania fears the new rule will close a loophole the state has been using to pay for longer stints.
New Health Plans Offer Discounts For Diabetes Care
Aetna is rolling out a special gold-level plan for 2016 that is aimed at providing better care for people with diabetes in the hopes of keeping them healthier—and their costs down. But it’s not clear the plans are a good buy.
